Following the cave-in on August 5, the world watched the progress of the efforts to unearth them with bated breath. Though rescuers drilled day and night to reach the men, they were not contacted until August 22, when they passed a note up through one of the holes bored into the mountain in the search for them.

Trapped miners celebrating inside the San Jose mine near Copiapó, Chile, as drilling equipment made its way into one of the caverns, September 17, 2010. Photo credit: AP

Britannica notes of the miners’ time underground:

During the 17-day period the men spent without contact with the surface, they subsisted on a supply of emergency rations intended to last 2 days, taking meals only once every other day. Water was obtained from a spring and from radiators. Some of the men developed fungal infections due to the high humidity and 95 °F (35 °C) heat, and some suffered eye and respiratory problems, but the miners were otherwise unscathed.

By August 23 nutrient gel, water, and communication devices had been fed through the holes to the men. In order to ensure the survival of the workers until they could be extracted, a cadre of experts—ranging from mental health specialists to NASA scientists—was brought to the site, joining an encampment of worried family and friends. As the days progressed, solid food was passed through the channel, as were first aid supplies, exercise routines, and lighting devices.

Chilean miner Jorge Galleguillos (centre) waving after being raised to the surface during the rescue operation at the San Jose mine near Copiapó, Chile, Oct. 13, 2010. Credit: Cezaro De Luca—EPA/Landov.

For more on the miners’ lives since their rescue, see this post from the anniversary of the cave-in.